WHY STUDY IN AUSTRALIA IS A GREAT CHOICE: INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS

The deep personal connections that international students forge with Australia and the great experiences they’ve had studying here are the focus of a new video series to be launched today.

In a new phase of the #1inHalfaMillion campaign, Universities Australia will launch a new series of videos featuring international students talking about their time studying in Australia.

Universities Australia Chief Executive Catriona Jackson said the campaign gave an insight into why 540,000 international students now choose to study in Australia instead of other countries.

“In each of their stories, what is compelling is the genuine affection they feel for Australia because of the warm and welcoming experiences they’ve had while studying here,” she said.

“This is such a powerful reminder that by educating brilliant students from all around the world, Australia is not only equipping students with a quality education on their way to global careers. We are also forging a global network of informal ambassadors with great fondness for our country.”

"That is a huge asset for Australia as our global alumni return to their home countries and maintain lifelong ties and friendships with Australians,” Ms Jackson said.

“The themes you hear time and again are the quality and rigour of an Australian university education, the great lifestyle, the environment, safety, and how welcoming Australians are.”

“We now educate half a million students from nearly two hundred countries – that’s such a strong foundation for Australia’s friendships, diplomacy and trade in the decades ahead,” she said.

The latest videos feature students from countries as diverse as the United States, India, China, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, and Zimbabwe.

“After six decades of concerted effort by Australian universities, we are now tipped to overtake the UK as the world’s second most popular destination for international students,” Ms Jackson said.

“That’s no accident. That’s the result of years of having the right conditions and strong bipartisan support to back a quality system that can attract the next generation of global leaders.”

Beyond the vast cultural benefits, international education is also Australia’s third largest export – worth $32 billion a year to our economy – and supports 130,000 Australian jobs.